Need an opinion- I am using a service buck. My doe is not real long in body - has always been 5 lbs. smaller than her sister. She is one of the more "compact" does.
There are 2 bucks I have access to, close, one shorter in body, more round in the body (around that is) but polled. The other buck is longer in body and more dairy looking in character. Polled, blue eyed or not - I would like to see kids with some more length.
I am leaning towards the longer in body buck, since she is so short in that area. My concern is kids - i am worried a bigger guy might produce kids of a size she may have trouble with. However, the does of the bucks' owner didnt have any trouble and they are the smaller type does.
Oh, this is a first breeding for this doe - she will be 2 in March.
??
Replies
If she is short-bodied, she will look a lot "more" pregnant than if she were long bodied. That's really the only difference. Long-bodied does can really surprise you by popping out more babies than you expected. The only body characteristics that I've heard equated with difficulty birthing are steep rumps and does that do not have wide rears -- in other words, they have a pelvis that doesn't accommodate a baby well.
You should pay attention to a doe's body condition during pregnancy just as you do when they're not pregnant. Does she have meat along her spine and her rump? If she is turning into a spinysaurus, then she needs more calories and/or should be checked for worms.
Melissa Johnson said:
we have discussed the grain before. They have grass hay to eat, I bought alfalfa pellets yesterday, minerals and that is it. There is no browse - dead oak leaves - some blackberry leaves to be had but they have no interest in that.
So will that hold her until couple weeks before she kids? anyway, she is 19 inches tall, the buck is within the standard, she just looks short in length of body. That was my only concern. When I look at pics on the net of these gorgeous does, they look really long in their bodies, well, alot of them. I was just concerned.